John 12:1-11

The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3)

A sacrifice costs us something. When we make a sacrifice, we are giving away something valuable. John tells us that Mary used an entire pound of costly perfume made of nard to anoint Jesus’ feet. One can understand Judas’ complaint that this was a wasteful act. One pound just for Jesus’ feet? Surely the expensive pedicure was a little excessive. And yet, that’s the nature of sacrifice. It’s costly, excessive, and deadly. When God tested Abraham by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac, two deaths were actually required: the physical death of Isaac, and the death of all of Abraham’s hopes and dreams. When we sacrifice, we give up something precious for a greater cause. Fortunately, Abraham and Isaac were spared this tragedy when God saw Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice. But here’s the thing about sacrifice, it is accompanied by a pleasing fragrance. Several times in the book of Leviticus, the sacrifice is described as “an offering by fire of pleasing odor to the Lord.” Mary’s ointment filled the room with its fragrance. This week, with Jesus we make our way to the cross to die. “But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. ¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God …” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15)

John 12:1-11 NRSV

 1 Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
 2 There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him.
 3 Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus' feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
 4 But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said,
 5 "Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?"
 6 (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.)
 7 Jesus said, "Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial.
 8 You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
 9 When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead.
 10 So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well,
 11 since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.